London Olympics 2012

22 May 2006

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Ltd (LOCOG) is alive and well and doing all it can to ensure both a successful Olympic Games in London in 2012 and a commercially responsible approach to the Games by sponsors, by those enterprises that merely want to take advantage of the event in their ads and by those that do not.

LOCOG has published on its website, www.london2012.com, information about the Games and the associated legislation and sponsorship opportunities.  The many acronyms are explained in full.

Marketers should be especially aware of the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006, the London Olympics Association Right (LOAR), the Olympic Symbol etc (Protection) Act 1995 (OSPA) as amended by the 2006 Act and the Advertising Regulations to be established in accordance with the 2006 Act. 

To help industry practitioners find their way around the extensive legal documents, CAP, BCAP and several member trade associations, led by the Advertising Association, have discussed with LOCOG the practical implications for marketers and the advertising industry.  Unfortunately, neither CAP nor BCAP may give legal advice to enquirers.  Your trade association might be able to help you.  In any event, we strongly advise you to take legal advice if you are at all unsure how all the legislation surrounding the London Olympics is likely to affect you.

In the first instance, CAP and BCAP advises interested parties to consult the LOCOG website, especially the “Information for your Business” section and the summary of protected games trademarks and the detailed information on London 2012’s statutory marketing rights, both of which are in the “Use of Olympic Marks” section of the website.

If you are not a sponsor and you want to make sure you do not infringe the Act or anyone’s rights, please take legal advice.